Shutter: The Giant Swing (Sao Chingcha)
The Giant Swing (Thai: เสาชิงช้า, Sao Chingcha) is a religious structure in Bangkok, Thailand. It was originally built in 1784 for the annual Swing ceremony as part of the Brahmin thanksgiving ceremony. Three Thai men would ride a swing, suspended for up to 24 meters, to grab a bag of silver coins with their teeth. After some severe injuries and few deaths, the ceremony was discontinued in 1932.
The giant swing underwent some renovations and was moved to its current location in 1920, after being gravely damage by lightning strikes. Then it was completely replaced in 2004.
In the photo was the reconstructed swing standing 27 meters in front of Wat Suthat. It is made of two teak pillars and intricately carved crossbar.
